Never Forgot
by Mystic Sorrow
Summary: It's Richard's birthday and all he wants is to spend the day with his foster father. Instead, he is sent on a mission with the team, in the freezing mountains of Colorado. And to top it off sent by Batman. What will happen? How will Batman make up for it?


**Okay, this is my first Fanfic on this website (I have done others on different sites) so please give me your thoughts. I want to become a better author so any comments/critics are welcomed! So Without further adieu, Daddybats galore**

* * *

Freezing. That was what he felt at that moment. Just bitter and utter coldness. Now why, you ask yourself, does the Boy Wonder feel cold at this moment? Well, because at this moment, he along with his team were on the mountains of Colorado and had been shoved, pushed, tripped and smothered by tons of white, powdery snow.

"I-i don't t-think I have ev-va-ver felt so c-cold in my lif-fa-fe." stuttered the talkative speedster who was clutching his thick jacket closer to his lean, built body.

The young martian girl next to him nodded in agreement as she shook from a small gust of wind that rolled by. " We never had weather this c-cold on Mars be-before."

The Boy Wonder was the farthest back in the group. He looked to his cold and shaking teammates as the clutched their clothes tighter to their bodies, hoping it would bring them more heat. Aqualad was the least affected by the weather, saying it got much colder in Atlantis during the Winter, but still shook with dissatisfaction to the dropping temperatures. Wally was shaking like a leaf, and had been complaining non-stop ever since they had gotten off the bio-ship almost five hours ago. M'gann wasn't complaining near as much as her admirer, but still was displeased with what the Earth weather was like, as there is no such thing as below freezing on Mars she had told them. Superboy hadn't said a single word of discomfort from the chilling winds except for, "I hate Winter" which only showed his reasons for scarcely showing his teammates his shaking shoulders. Artemis was just as M'gann was, except she had already expected these circumstances when coming on their mission for the Justice League. As for Robin, he had been walking slowly behind his older-though less experienced- teammates and had not complained about his chattering teeth the entire mission.

Batman had sent them there to try and stop a rogue scientist by the name of Dr. Hopper from shooting missiles to Washington and other important landmarks around the United States. It wasn't unusual, just another mission that Batman was supposed to give them seeing as he was their mission giver.

But Robin had not been fully set into this mission ever since the words "Mountains of Colorado" had escaped from his mentor's lips.

Normally he would be dead set on any mission, just to try and impress his teammates and more importantly his adoptive father. This was different. Today was a special day, an important day.

Had he forgotten? It was a thought that kept haunting the young prodigy for some time now. Though the thought quickly vanished from his thoughts. How could it be possible to forget something so important of an adopted- no not even that-son. How could he have forgotten something so important to his son?

Did his mentor stop taking interest in his protege's interests? Was he getting too old? no, he was just thirteen, how is that possibly too old? Losing his abilities? Highly doubtful, since he trained every morning before school and evening before going to his room. Then what?

As the youngest member of the Elite team staggered behind his team as they slowly made their way closer to the bio-ship still some miles away, he didn't notice his teammates all catching glances back at his direction. They all hurriedly huddled together while keeping a slow pace as not to loose sight of the young Boy Wonder.

"Is it just me or does Robin seem a little . . . out of it?" a confused Wally asked. The seriousness dripping from his words was enough to make him not chatter his teeth for the whole sentence.

"Yes, I must agree with Kid. He seems much more quiet and distant then ever I have seen before." M'gann said, sneaking another glance at the mentioned boy's way.

"Maybe something happened with Batman before the mission." Aqualad said after a few moments of silence.

All five teens grew silent as they knew how much an argument between the dynamic duo would affect their young teammate. They may only see their relationship when in the cave they all shared as a headquarters, but they could all see the deep relationship between the man and his just barley teen protege. Which also meant they all knew how much of an impact it would make on their friend.

Superboy was the first to glance back at the young boy still deep in thought, till he finally muttered, " I'll go see if he's okay."

No one objected as he strolled towards his young teammate as well as close friend. They all knew the Kryptonion clone would know the best way to handle the situation, seeing as he had problems with his own some-what mentor.

Robin didn't look up when his friend slowly walked by his side and looked questionably at him from the corners of his eyes.

"Are you alright?" The young Superboy asked his friend who had jumped at the sound of the boy suddenly so close to him when he had only been ahead of him moments ago.

"Wha-what? oh, Superboy. Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" the Boy Wonder fumbled as he smirked at his teammate.

The older boy just stared into his masked eyes until he finally said, " You just seem really unfocused, that's all."

The thirteen year old mentally slapped himself for letting the situation get to him before he heard the boy ask, "Did you and Batman get into a fight or something?"

Now that was something the Bat prodigy was not expecting to be heard. He wouldn't say that he and Batman had been in any kind of quarrel seeing as the problem he was facing wasn't even known by his adopted father. But, it was a problem for the boy.

"Why do you ask?" the younger boy muttered, starting to speed his pace up ever so slightly.

"Because you and I both know the only thing that makes you get off your rocker is the big Bat." the older boy answer, keeping up with his friends quickened pace. "So did you?"

Robin wished they were at the large ship that their martian friend had provided for their team, but he knew that it was still an hour at the least till they reached their only way of getting home.

"No." Robin answered after a few moments of hesitation.

He was honest, he and his mentor had not had a disagreement of any sorts at all in the last month. So, why did he wish he would have told his friend otherwise?

"Hey, you two better hurry up! the winds starting to pick up and we don't want you both to get left behind." They both looked up at the sound of the Flash's nephew's booming voice.

With a mental sigh of relief as well as grief, Robin rushed ahead of his quickly to be angered teammate and ran to the company of his other friends, hoping they wouldn't ask any questions.

* * *

Richard sighed as he slumped into the nice, comfortable couch that was seated in their living room. He had just returned from his mission from the bitter cold mountains of Colorado to find no Bruce in the Wayne mansion.

It made his chest hurt. He wanted his father to be here so he could discus what had been bothering him for the past two days when he had assigned their team's mission. He heard soft footsteps approach him from the hall and the boy quickly jumped up and stood to see it was the nice and always calm butler, Alfred.

Richard didn't let his disappointment show and he smiled and said, "Good morning Alfred, up a little early don't you say?"

The butler only gave a soft chuckle and small smirk to show that he was glad to see his young master had come home safely.

"Master Richard, I'm sad to say that Master Bruce left early this morning to go to an important meeting at the office."

This time, the boy made sure to let his sadness show. "oh, . . . " he whispered softly.

the butler only gave a sad, knowing look towards the young boy he had gotten to know over the years he had lived with the Wayne family, which only consisted of his older master and him. He knew what an impression the Wayne heir had on the young boy. Taking his position as not only his mentor but father figure as well. Though, the butler noted, the boy had much stronger impression on the heir.

Before taking in the young acrobat, the hero by night had been cold and drawn back towards everyone but the old butler. But after taking the young Grayson boy under his wing, he grew kinder, protective, stronger and much more likeable. He knew how upset the boy was of not seeing his father for two days on end.

"He will be here this evening ,though." the butler added.

"Yeah, . . . I guess." he heard the boy mutter before stalking towards his room.

* * *

It had only been and hour and a half since the adopted son of the Wayne family had arrived home and went to sleep in his room when Alfred heard the click of the front door and soft steps coming down the stair case.

He turned from his spot in the living room to see his older master walking towards him.

"Is he home?" the dark knight asked hastily.

"Yes, he arrived just over an hour ago." the butler said motioning towards the boy's room.

"Is he hurt?" the adoptive father asked once more.

"Not in the least, though he did seem quite down when you weren't here to greet him home."

Bruce sighed, how he wished he could have been here when his son had come back. He would have swept him into his arms and made sure that everything had gone alright and he hadn't been hurt or damaged from the teams recent mission. Because, if he had he would have made sure that those who had caused his son's pain would pay dearly for it.

"Did you say anything to him?" the Wayne heir asked after a few moments.

"Not a word, Master Bruce." Alfred confirmed.

"Perfect." He smiled.

* * *

Richard felt a soft nudge on his shoulder and turned from his sleeping position to see his father sitting beside him on his bed. The boy immediately sat up and wrapped his adoptive father into a hug. The man quickly returned it and pulled him closer to his built body, never wishing to let go of him.

"How did the mission go?" Bruce asked after a few silent minutes.

"Fine. " he heard his son say.

"Good, I was hoping to show this to you later tonight. But, knowing you had been home this morning I couldn't help but come home after the meeting."

Richard gave his father a questioning look. Show him what? He was soon motioned from his cozy bed and down the hall till they stopped in front of a door he had never entered in his time in the Wayne mansion.

"Go on, open it." he heard his mentor's voice tell him.

The boy grabbed the silver knob and turned it slowly till he was able to push the door in and revealed to him a room of magic.

It was a large room, half filled with a large computer screen that nearly took up the entire wall and a large desk seated under the screen with a huge keyboard and drawers and other things that copied that of Bruce's in the Batcave. The other half of the room was a complete collection of acrobatic objects to be used for training and weights and other such things. A small locker was deposited in the corner where a few workout shirts, shorts, socks, shoes and other pieces of clothing were located.

Bruce smiled as he watched his son gasp at what his father had just revealed to him.

"What is this?" Richard finally asked.

"It's your birthday present." his father answered.

His young partner quickly turned to him as if his mentor had read his mind. He remembered? He had put him through the torture of thinking he had forgotten just to show him this spectacular place and all the wonders it held.

"Y-you, . . . remembered?" his son asked slowly.

"Of course I remembered. How could I forget my own son's birthday?" the dark knight asked turning to his now fourteen year old boy.

"I don't know, you sent us on that mission the day before and-"

"Well, I had to get you out of the house somehow didn't I?" he asked smiling down at the boy.

Richard was soon pulled into a strong bear hug by his father and buried his face into his chest as he heard him say, "How could I forget the day the most important thing to me was born?"

Richard smiled as he pulled himself deeper into his father's arms and felt the love and care that this man had shown him ever since he had met him.


End file.
